Reforestation project in the Weinviertel
Dear friends & guests of Austria Classic Hotel Wien,
This blog was written by the whole team!
For more than a year now, we have been offering our guests the option of doing without room cleaning. An active step towards sustainability, which is very important to us. Guests simply have to place a hanger outside the room door (we affectionately call it “The Tree Card”) and we do not enter the room and it is not cleaned, towels are not changed and beds are not made up. 4,768 guests have supported us in this campaign and for every “non-cleaning” 1 virtual euro has flowed into a cash box. Many thanks to our guests who supported this campaign! We are very proud of you!
The card says that we will donate the virtual money to a reforestation program and plant the trees ourselves. We spent a long time researching who we could donate the money to and were also warned of “shady” companies that the donation would not go to the right place. Then, through intensive discussions with friends, we came across “Kraut & Leben”. Their slogan “We deal with sustainable methods for agriculture and the design of sustainable habitats for people, animals, plants and microorganisms and implement these step by step on our land in Königsbrunn in the Weinviertel region!” immediately inspired us.
The trip to Königsbrunn
Recently, the time had finally come and the majority of the Austria Classic Hotel Wien team took public, climate-neutral transportation to Königsbrunn near Vienna. The weather was gracious, the journey was adventurous and everyone arrived safely. We then went to the farm of the “Kraut & Leben” association, which has set itself the goal of reviving and cultivating a piece of fallow farmland.
We plant trees and shrubs together
Sigrid & Andreas and Ingrid & Wolfgang made us feel very welcome. The chemistry was right from the start and it was clear to see that their project is close to their hearts and that they are grateful for any kind of support. We were shown around the old farm, which used to be home to a wine tavern, and then instructed in the art of planting trees and shrubs. Digging a hole, taking the plant out of the container, putting sheep's wool in the hole, adding rock flour, digging everything in and then burying garlic to ward off unwelcome pests. Everything is super “organic” and well thought out. No toxic chemicals are used here!
Ducks, chickens & ponds
There are Indian unner ducks (they eat the nasty slugs), chickens, a duck pond and a biotope. All of this is fed by rainwater. There are large channels on the property that direct the water to the right places. Vegetables are planted, there is also a piece of land in the village for fruit trees of all kinds and we were also allowed to dig in plants ourselves in designated areas. We had brought gloves for all the employees and we were ready to get started. We were provided with spades and other tools. Every team member was busy and we dug and planted. It was really nice to let off steam in nature (we are all real “city kids” and not used to so much fresh air).
The fence
Sigrid told us that the fence around the site has priority. After all, there are many cute but uninvited guests in the Weinviertel: deer that gnaw on everything, rabbits, and nasty mice that eat the freshly planted shrubs and trees. Our donation of EUR 4,768 will be very welcome.
Coffee & cake in the old wine tavern
After the planting, we were invited for coffee, tea and cake in the old, unheated Heurigen. Ingrid had made a delicious ribiselfleck and the warm drinks were very welcome after the time in the cold. The team then drove one village further to Hagenbrunn to the Heurigen. We ate and drank well and reviewed the day. It was incredibly nice for all of us and we had fun. We'll be back next year to see if our planted trees and shrubs have thrived.
To Kraut & Leben
Hats off to people who are involved in sustainable reforestation, permaculture farming and ecological living!
A quote from St. Augustine fits very well here: “What you want to ignite in others must burn in you.” You have ignited a lot in us and we thank you on behalf of our guests and on our behalf for the work you are taking on to make the world “greener”! Hopefully our donation will contribute in some small way to making the world a better place! Thank you very much!
Your team of the Austria Classic Hotel Wien
